Campsite Sniper
Montana · Recreation.gov

Diamond Butte Lookout

45.2491° N / 105.9328° W · Data Sep 18 2026, checked hourly
Next open date Oct 28Next open weekend Dec 51 monitored site

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Every site at Diamond Butte Lookout, colored by availability across the tracked window. Tap a site for its calendar.
Diamond Butte Lookout

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Opening record
No detected openings in the last 90 days

No detected openings were recorded in the last 90 days. Campsite Sniper monitors Diamond Butte Lookout continuously and will alert you if that changes.

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01 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027 · of 1 monitored site

Of the 183 tracked site-nights (Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027): 106 open for online reservation · 57 reserved · 20 closed.

Where the open windows are

42.1% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 106 of 183 remain open; here is where they are.

Load status

Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027
Not open online42.1%
Open site-nights106 / 183
Reserved (of online inventory)57 / 163
Weekday openings66
Weekend openings40

Of the open cabin-nights on mapped sites, 66 fall on weekdays and 40 on weekends (Fri–Sun).

Open dates by month

Sep 2026 – Mar 2027
0102030400 OPEN1426282819SEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARSOLID = OPEN SITE-NIGHTS · DASHED OUTLINE = TOTAL BOOKABLE

September shows no online availability. 0 of 13 tracked site-nights are open there — 13 closed.

Holiday windows

Sites open per night · of 1 cabin
WindowNightSites openStatus
Labor DaySAT Sep 50None open
SUN Sep 60None open
MON Sep 70None open
ThanksgivingTHU Nov 260None open
FRI Nov 270None open
SAT Nov 280None open
ChristmasTHU Dec 240None open
FRI Dec 250None open
New YearTHU Dec 311Open
FRI Jan 11Open

Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night. Thanksgiving: no online availability on any tracked night. Christmas: no online availability on any tracked night. New Year: 1 cabin is available for the complete two-night stay.

Availability

Most open cabin-nights · tracked window
CabinOpen cabin-nights
001  106

This cabin currently has 106 cabin-nights available.

Next windows

As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshot
Next open dateWed · Oct 28
Next open weekendSat · Dec 5
September0 of 13 · closed

The next bookable night is Oct 28; the first open weekend starts Dec 5. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.

Stays and site detail

106 open cabin-nights across 1 cabin at Diamond Butte Lookout, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.

Multi-night stays. 4 2-night, 4 3-night, 3 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Nov 29 at site 001.

All 1 cabin with current availability
CabinMax RVHookupsOpen cabin-nightsLongest runDates
001Not recordedNone10668 nightsOct 28, Nov 19, Nov 25, Nov 29, Nov 30, Dec 1, Dec 2, Dec 3, Dec 5, Dec 6, Dec 7, Dec 8 +94 more

About Diamond Butte Lookout

Overview

Diamond Butte Lookout is perched atop a 30-foot masonry tower on Diamond Butte at an altitude of 4,245 feet in the Custer National Forest approximately 40 miles from Ashland, Montana. The lookout was moved from its original location of Yeager Butte in 1958 and was an active fire lookout until 2001. Guests can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. This vantage point offers the chance to enjoy sunrises, sunsets and star gazing on clear nights. The lookout is accessible by car, but it is a 200-foot walk up a steep hill to the lookout from the parking area. Guests should be prepared to bring most of their own supplies and gear.

Recreation

You can enjoy hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking near the lookout. Opportunities are available to enjoy off-road vehicle riding and hunting.

Facilities

The lookout can accommodate 4 people and is furnished with a table, chairs and1 twin bed with mattress, a double futon with mattress and a cot. Propane appliances include a cook stove with an oven, lights and a heater. A few cooking and eating utensils are provided, along with a broom, mop and bucket. Parking and an outhouse with a pit toilet are located at the gate 200 feet below the lookout. A wagon is stored in the lookout's basement to help haul gear. Water and electricity are not available. Guests must bring their own water for drinking, cooking and washing. Items such as bedding, lanterns or flashlights, matches, extra toilet paper, first aid supplies, trash bags, dish soap, towels and an ice chest are not available. Guests are expected to pack out their trash and clean the cabin before leaving.

Natural Features

The lookout offers expansive views of the nearby hills and the distant Bighorn Mountains, which are about 100 miles away. Vegetation is sparse, but sagebrush and lupin thrive on the surrounding landscape. Wildlife in the area includes fox, black bear, antelope and a variety of bird species ( bear safety ).

1 monitored cabinNo hookupsPets OKMax party 4

Getting there

From Ashland, Montana: travel east on State Highway 212 for approximately 3 miles. Turn south onto Otter Creek Road hwy 484 and travel 20 miles. Just past the Fort Howes Work Center, turn east onto Taylor Creek Road and travel 12 miles to Sonnette Divide Road. Turn north onto the Sonnette Divide Road for 2 miles then turn east on the Diamond Butte Lookout Road. Travel 1 mile to the lookout.

Po Box 168 2378 Hwy 212, Ashland, MT 59003CALL FOR COMBINATION PRIOR TO YOUR STAY - M-F 8:00 TO 4:30 CALL 406-784-2344. AFTER HOURS OR WEEKENDS CALL 406-740-1594.
BikingCampingHikingHorseback RidingHuntingWildlife Viewing

View on Recreation.gov ↗   Get directions ↗

FAQ

How do I get a reservation at Diamond Butte Lookout?

Reservations for Diamond Butte Lookout are made through Recreation.gov. 106 of 183 tracked site-nights are currently open (57.9%). Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.

Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?

No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.

How current is this availability data?

Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.

Can I get a multi-night stay at Diamond Butte Lookout?

4 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Nov 29 at site 001. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.

Which month has the most availability at Diamond Butte Lookout?

January 2027, with 28 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 31.

When is the next open date at Diamond Butte Lookout?

As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Wed, Oct 28 and the next open weekend starts Sat, Dec 5. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.

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